What does it take to build success when there is no clear roadmap?

In this episode of the Take A Step Podcast, Josh sits down with entrepreneur and real estate investor Brandon Knox to unpack his unconventional journey from acting in New York City to building a successful real estate and investment business in Nashville.

Brandon shares how failure, calculated risk, persistence, and a willingness to keep moving helped him recognize opportunities he never could have planned for. They discuss developing a growth mindset, creating your own luck, stewarding opportunities well, building generational wealth, and redefining success around faith, family, and freedom.

If you have been waiting for the perfect plan before making your next move, this conversation is a reminder that action produces clarity.

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In this episode of The Take A Step Podcast, Josh sits down with entrepreneur Emmett Davis to unpack what it really looks like to build, buy, fail, learn, and keep moving forward.

Emmett shares his journey from cybersecurity and ministry leadership to acquiring a bakery and building a septic company from the ground up. Together, Josh and Emmett explore the realities of entrepreneurship, the power of community, learning through failure, and why your first move doesn’t require a perfect plan.

They also challenge the traditional definition of success. Instead of chasing a destination, what if success is found in the process—taking action, learning, adjusting, and becoming the person capable of reaching the goal?

If you’ve been waiting for clarity before making your next move, this conversation is your reminder: action produces clarity. Take the step.

Instagram: @iamemmettdavisjr
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What does it really take to bet on yourself and build a life on your own terms?

In this episode of The Take A Step Podcast, Josh sits down with Calvin Favors, founder of Top Dawg Tech Solutions, to unpack his transition from the comfort of corporate America into entrepreneurship. Calvin shares how complacency pushed him to make a change, the intense preparation behind leaving his salary, and why taking action before you have everything figured out is often the key to creating clarity.

Josh and Calvin also dive into building confidence through repetition, developing conviction in what you do, creating your own “luck” by being prepared when opportunities arrive, and redefining what success actually looks like. They close with a conversation around Ikigai and the pursuit of work that combines what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.

If you know you're capable of more but have been waiting for the perfect time to move, this episode is for you.

Check out Top Dawg Tech Solutions here: https://www.topdawg.ai/

Check out the Ikigai here: https://www.wholegraindigital.com/blog/ikigai-finding-purpose-at-work/

Most people think they need clarity before they take action. But what if clarity only comes after you move?

In this episode of The Take A Step Podcast, Josh Johnston and John Szarszewski unpack The Take A Step Mentality: Action Produces Clarity. They explore the difference between being interested and truly committed, how fear keeps us stuck, and why faith gives us the confidence to move forward even when we can’t see the entire path.

Through stories about business, family, fitness, and faith, Josh and John break down why you don’t need the perfect plan to pursue meaningful growth. You need enough courage to take the next step, reflect on what it teaches you, and keep moving.

If you’ve been waiting until you have it all figured out, this episode is your challenge to start.

What do you do when life stops making sense?

In this episode, Josh Johnston unpacks the powerful truth found in Proverbs 3:5–6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."

Through personal stories of delayed growth as an athlete, missed opportunities during COVID, and lessons learned through life's unexpected setbacks, Josh explores why not everything is meant to be understood right away. Sometimes the greatest growth happens when we stop demanding answers and start trusting the process.

If you're walking through uncertainty, this conversation will encourage you to keep moving forward with faith, knowing that clarity often comes in hindsight.

Check out Take A Step: letstakeastep.com

At just 22 years old, Matt Phillips has grown a pressure washing side hustle into a million-dollar business with a team of more than ten employees. In this episode, Matt joins Josh to discuss what entrepreneurship really looks like behind the scenes—from building systems only when they're needed to navigating the stress of leading people, embracing failure, and staying focused on consistent progress over perfection. Together, they explore why action creates clarity, why relationships matter more than networking, and how the best leaders keep taking the next step, even when the path ahead isn't fully clear.

Connect with Matt Phillips:

🌐 Website: https://www.mattsexteriorwashing.com/
📸 Instagram: @mattphillipsbiz
🎥 YouTube: @MattPhillipsBiz

If this conversation challenged you, share it with someone who needs the reminder that clarity comes through action—not waiting.

Here's a podcast description that fits the Take A Step brand voice and stays around 100 words, based on the transcript.

Before you can steward more, you have to become more. In this episode of The Take A Step Podcast, Josh Johnston and John Szarszewski unpack what it truly means to Be the Steward—the seventh step in the Take A Step Journey.

They explore why stewardship is about far more than finances, how the Be → Do → Have framework reshapes personal growth, and why abiding in Christ produces lasting fruit. Through practical stories and leadership insights, they challenge listeners to stop chasing outcomes and start becoming the kind of person who can faithfully steward their time, talents, relationships, and opportunities with purpose.

letstakeastep.com

What does it take to build a business without losing sight of what matters most? In this episode, Josh sits down with entrepreneur Esteban Alarcon to discuss faith, entrepreneurship, discipline, and the pursuit of purpose. Together, they explore why action creates clarity, how fear keeps us stuck, and what it looks like to trust God while building something meaningful.

From overcoming setbacks to redefining success beyond money and status, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom for leaders who want to pursue excellence without compromising their values. If you're building your career, your business, or your life, this episode will challenge you to take the next step.

letstakeastep.com